Conventionally, as a reaction apparatus for processing a very small amount of sample solution in a biochemical reaction and the like, there exists a plan for analyzing a plurality of analytes or carrying out a plurality of reactions by providing one chip or cartridge called μ-TAS (Total Analysis System) or lab-on-chip with a plurality of reaction fields or flow paths. Such techniques can reduce the amount of reagents to be used by reducing the chip and the cartridge in size, and since the amount of reagents to be used can be reduced, there are many advantages.
Examples of the advantages are that effect on human body or environment is remarkably reduced by largely reducing the amount of strong acid or alkaline agents that are conventionally used, and costs required for carrying out a reaction are reduced by largely reducing the consumption amount of expensive reagent that is used for biochemical reaction or the like.
In order to most efficiently carry out the biochemical reaction using chips or cartridges, it is necessary to dispose a plurality of different agents, analytes and enzymes in a plurality of reaction fields, to collectively flow a reagent that reacts with the agents, analytes and enzymes from one or several main conduits, and to generate a plurality of different reactions. According to this technique, it is possible to simultaneously process a plurality of analytes with the same reagent, or to subject one kind of analyte to a plurality of processing operations in a biochemical reaction.
In order to carry out a reaction of a reagent using a plurality of flow paths or a plurality of reaction fields, a stemming mechanism for fluid is absolutely necessary for preventing different reagents or analytes from being mixed between the flow paths or reaction fields.
Various ideas have been devised to solve such a problem, and there exist the following techniques, for example.
According to Patent Document 1, to prevent liquids or substances from being mixed between a plurality of containers, the following cartridge is invented, that is, a plurality of reaction fields and flow paths are formed in a substrate made of rigid body and a container made of elastic body, and an external force is applied to the elastic body from outside the container, thereby partially blocking the flow path to allow movement of the fluid material or to stop the fluid material.
Patent Document 2 describes a self-holding micro-flow path valve in which a valve body capable of holding a flow path in its closed state or opened state is provided with a solenoid that can reciprocate in the flow path, and the flow path can open or close with very small electricity.
However, if the elastic body is pushed against the rigid body using the external force as in Patent Document 1, reliability of blocking the flow path is low, and a very small complicated valve as described in Patent Document 2 is expensive in cost and mass production properties thereof are low.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-37368
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-353704